Parcel-delivery system



Sept. 16 1924.

w. F. SHYLER PARCEL DELIVER! SYSTEM Filed May 24, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 M 74. 27 Syra- Sept. 16 1924.

1,508,994 W. F. SHYLER PARCEL DELIVERY SYSTEM Filed May 24, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 W1? S/ryiw;

Patented Sept. 1%, E 924.

@FNHTEE STATES ATENT @FFEQE.

WILLIAM F. SHYLER, OF

PARCEL-DELIVERY SYSTEM.

MEADVILLE, PENNSYLVANIA.

Application filed May 24, 1924. Serial No. 715,736.

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM F. SHYLER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Meadville, in the county of Crawford and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Parcel-Delivery Systems, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improved parcel delivery system, which is intended for transcontinental use, the same being especially but not necessarily intended for de livering mail and parcel post packages.

More specifically speaking, what I aim to do is to provide an electrically driven carrier, which is adapted to be suspended from a stationary track, connecting two or more cities or various distant points.

One feature of the invention is to so de sign the carrier that it willbe free from air resistance, during its travel.

Another feature of the invention is to vide improved means of guarding the track, current supply wire, and protection means for the carrier against destruction from ere posure to the elements.

A further feature and resultant advantage favoring the present invention is accomplished from the use of an exceedingly rigid and stable suspension device, such as will assure perfect alignment of the supporting rail to. in turn, insure free and unobstructed travel of the carrier thereover.

It is also my aim to provide a suitable and novel transferring device for installation in the system at a predetermined point, for readily transferring a carrier from one rail to the other, so that the direction. of travel may be reversed.

Other structural features and advantages derived therefrom will become apparent from the following description and drawing.

In the accompanying Cll' a part of this specification like numerals are employed part throughout the same:

Figure l designates a small section of the suspension device, showing the manner in which the carrier cooperates therewith, the weather shield being shown in section.

Figure 2 is an enlarged cross section taken through the extension device, between two supporting posts.

Figure 3 is a side elevation, showing a proawing, forming and in which to designate like section of the complete suspensi.

the carrier being Figure of the two-rail tr isato removed.

p plan view of a section ack.

on device,

Figure 5 is an enlarged detail sectional ew of the electric motor drive. Figure 6 is a detail it will be seen th referred to b VVhil construction, it of a hollow alui tice,

perspective view of to the drawings in detail, at the carrier is generally y the reference character 1.

e this carrier may be of any suitable will be ab elevated track 3. tion between the carrier and the rail, is provided carrying bracket 4. In pr ings may be interposed b and carrier, latter aroun rear end (see vided on its t tension 5, fashioned to form a guar through th which a traction roller 6 of th an idler is roller out carrier is fashioned pearance it simulates a being preferred to ins to reduce air resistance. ported from one of the e 8 meshes, rotary motion from the driving the electric motor 1 e medium of a is preferably in the form ninuni body, which, in six feet in length.

prac- The that in external apdirigible, this design ure rapid travel and The carrier is sup- Xtension rails-of an its front, the connecswivelled actice, roller bear etween the bracketto permit free turning of the d curves in the track.

Figure 5), the carrier op with a suitable integral ex- At its is prohas its free upper end d. Int is journalled.

0; It is th medium of this structure that t is rapidly nor, for 1 thus the elements tion grip of th ter is formed at cir points with rubber i obtain current for (1 his guard,

The shaft carries a pinion 7 with which the latter receiving a pinion 9, of

rough the he carrier propelled along the track. The motor 10 may be supportedwithin the in any appropriate manner,

nstance, in the manner shown.

carsuch as, It IS completely housed and protected from lize a trolley wire 12, which is above the rail (see Figure 2).

To facilitate the desired trace roller with the rail, the latcumferentially spaced nserts 11. In order to riving the motor,I utisupported A trolley pivoted on one side of the carrier, and

Suitable wir carries a current des beneath the trolley wire ing, (not show collecting n) is emtention to Figure 2.

pan:

ployed for conducting the current from tne attention to the track determined ones of the transverse braces serve as supports for vertically disposcdi brackets 16, which may ir des ed be made integral therewith by sol wise. These brackets in th supports for a seini-circ weather shield 17. lnterme the brackets are formed wit posed arms 18 and these ser aforesaid trolley wires 12. be attached to the arms in way. seen in Figure 2 the r a Width to extend over and bey n the icy wires and the rails of the i the shield serves in a great 3. tect these details from desti exposure to the elements.

For the purpose of suspendin trolthe tracks and cooperating details in eleva ed 13081151031;

i use appropriate posts disposed at desired longitudina points. in practice, these posts erably be formed of concrete. i turn, support brackets 20, hari: ing portions 21. on the upper en; i

l y spaced 19. which may be are the transversely spaced lugs l to be noted that portions of the upper edge of part 21, extend outwardly beyond the lugs, and these portions con titute sear upon which the rails of the t aclr are seatec. The rails bear against the lugs ant held by beads against lateral dis To act in conjunction ith the lugs .42. i provide adjustable cables between pair of posts. these cab 1 anchore their opposite to llLQ b. l eye bolts or their equivalents. By once, each cable provided with a buckle 9A., for the purpose of taking up slacl: in the cable to render the latter extremely taut, at all times. 0 place additional stress upon the cable, i use small bridges 525, the type seen in i .-.e the d =2 line; is of each bridge be notched in its a to receive the mediate portion cable. with this structure tl termediate portion unit between the pairs of posts is l'niacc-n As before intimated.v l pr ride suit nest-rear.

tal rail 28. it is of course, understood that while the view under consideration shows the track section 26 comparatively small. it is of a width equal to that of the main track 3, and t is rails thereof are disposed in align ment with the rails of the latter. Whenv the carrier is received upon the rail of the detail 26, the latter is rotated upon its pivot to transfer the carrier from the incoming rail to the outgoing rail.

practice, the carrier is filled with pars tnrough the side door, which it equipped, and is rolled from the turn table at one terminal to the desired rail of the ld hen the trolley pole is swung up the shoe side of tracir. to the position shown in Figure l, which it carries engages the nude tie current supply wire. The electric sys tern which i use is analogous to that used stance, a magnetic brake may be installed upon the armature of the aforesaid motor, and this brake applied when the carrier or conveyor approaches its destination. This could be accomplished by utilizing a dead portion in the trolley wire. Since the brake means constitutes no part of the present invent-ion, no further description thereof deemed necessary, and furthermore, believed that the foregoing description, when taken in connection with the drawings will suffice to enaole the reader to obtain a clear comprehension of the invention. For this reason, a more lengthly description is deemed unnecessary.

ll hile l have shown and described a spe ciiic embodiment of the invention l wish it be understood that changes coming within scope of the subjoined claims may be sored to, if desired or necessary.

Before completing; the description would call attention to the fact that the before mentioned bracket 21 on the sup aortii. post, of necessity be constructed in proximate shape shown, to permit free 3assage of the carrier, it being understood that thecar .iers on the two rails are'intended to move in opposite directions.

1 claim:

1. in a device of the class describec,

comprising a pair of parallel trans y rsely spaced rai s. transverse braces a ranged between said rails, uprights rising from certain of said braces, said upright; being equipped with oppositely disposed arms extending over the rails of said tracks, wires connected to the error ends of said arms and an arcuate shield mounted on the upper ends of said uprights, the edges of said shields extending outwardly beyond the rails of said track.

2. In a device of the support, brackets carried laterally outwardly from brackets being provided with vertically disposed portions spaced outwardly from said support, the upper end of said vertical portion of the bracket being equipped with transversely spaced lugs, said lugs being spaced inwardly from the edges of said vertical portions to provide rail seats, and a track supported from the vertical portions of said brackets, the rails of said track engaging said seats and said lugs.

In a device of the class described, a

class described, a by and extending); sa1d support, sa1d pair of supporting posts arranged at longitudinally spaced points, brackets carried by said posts and extending laterally outward, a track having its rails extending transversely across the; upper portions of said brackets, a Weather shield supported above the rails of said track, a bridge extending transversely across the intermediate portion of said track and having a depending leg, and an adjustable cable stretched between said brackets and anchored at its opposite ends to the latter, the intermediate portion of said cable extending across said 30 bridge.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

WILLIAM F. SHYLER. 

